A Handy Guide to Thailand’s Airports

Are you heading off to Thailand to soak up the sun on one of its many stunning beaches, or to experience the tranquillity of a Buddhist temple? As you plan your trip, here’s some airport information to help you get the most out of your journey. Also, visit our dedicated page to apply for your Thai eVisa for this gorgeous Southeast Asian country.

What Are the Bangkok Airports?

Thailand’s bustling capital city is served by 2 major airline hubs: Suvarnabhumi, which handles all international flights, and Don Mueang, which handles low-cost domestic and Asian flights. These are the only airports near Bangkok, so if you’re planning to spend time in the capital, your best bet is to arrive at one of them.

The Bangkok airport codes are BKK for Suvarnabhumi, as it’s the main air traffic hub, and DMK for Don Mueang.

Introduction to Suvarnabhumi (BKK) Airport

Below we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Suvarnabhumi Airport.

You may be curious to know the reason for the Bangkok airport’s name, as the long name might have you scratching your head. It’s quite simple, really – it means “The Golden Land.” This used to be a traditional name for Thailand and Indochina. Pronouncing it may seem like a challenge, but it doesn’t have as many syllables as you’d expect. It’s pronounced “soo wan na poom.”

Suvarnabhumi officially began offering international flights in 2006 when it became the new hub for international travel, replacing the older Don Mueang Airport. It’s one of the world’s largest single-building terminals at 563,000 square metres. It’s Thailand’s biggest airport as well as a major transit hub for Southeast Asia, with around 58 million passengers travelling through every year.

How Do I Get to and From Suvarnabhumi Airport?

One of the top questions on any traveller’s mind is “how do I get to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport?” Rest assured that there are plenty of quick and affordable transit options connecting the airport to the city, which is a distance of around 30 kilometres in total.

The Bangkok Airport Link is an express train system that connects passengers directly to the city centre in a short time for just 45 Thai baht, which is less than 2.00 USD. These trains run from 6:00am until midnight. Taking this rail link helps you avoid the infamous Bangkok traffic jams.

For a flat rate of 150 baht, around 5.00 USD, you can hop on the Airport Express Bus, which can drop you off at either Silom Road, Sukhumvit Road, Khaosan Road or Hualampong Railway Station.

If you have some time to spare and you’re up for a little adventure, you can take a public bus by heading to the Public Transport Centre outside the terminal. There are 11 different routes, but you’ll spend at least an hour commuting into the city. This is the cheapest of all the transport options.

If you have an early morning flight or if you prefer to travel in comfort, you can take a taxi, which shouldn’t cost you more than 400 baht or 12.00 USD. There are also private van services available that can be booked in advance. Finally, on the pricier side, you have the option of hiring a private limousine to ride to the city centre in style!

What Services Does BKK Airport Offer?

You’ll find that Suvarnabhumi is a world-class transit hub with a wide range of services. There are various money exchange counters, banks and ATMs where you can get Thai baht. You can store your luggage at the 24-hour Chubb deposit counter. To stay connected, visit any number of phone shops with SIM cards, internet kiosks and hotspots, a post office, or even the CAT Telecom shop where you can get photocopies.

In addition, you can find Muslim prayer rooms, pharmacies, book shops, medical care, and you can even get a massage or have your hair cut.

As for shopping, you can find Thailand airport duty free products such as tobacco, liquor, clothing, perfume, cosmetics, watches, jewelry, children’s toys, electronics and more. You’ll find the best prices on imported products like brand-name luxury items here.

Last but not least, you can feast on just about any type of cuisine, including sushi, dim sum, pizza, burgers, and traditional Thai fare, among others.

Where Can I Find a Suvarnabhumi Airport Check-In Counter Map?

This expansive transit hub may seem difficult to navigate, but it’s really quite easy to find your way. As for checking in, you head to the 4th floor where all airline check-in counters are located. Rows B and C are for domestic check-ins, while international passengers will use Rows D to W. As with any flight, be sure to arrive at least 2 hours before an international departure or 1 hour before a domestic departure.

You can find here a map here.

How Many Lounges Are in Suvarnabhumi Airport?

Suvarnabhumi has 15 different lounges located throughout the terminal. Some are for first and business class passengers only, while others are airline-specific and can be accessed by purchasing a lounge pass or being a paid member.

What Hotels Are Near Suvarnabhumi Airport?

If you’re looking to get some rest before catching your flight, a number of convenient options are available.

First of all, have you ever slept in a capsule hotel? Now’s your chance – you can book a sleep pod at Avagard Capsule Hotel, a tiny and simple space that offers a queen-size bed, charging sockets, reading lights, temperature control and a storage locker. You can find it outside of customs on B Floor. For 25.00 USD you can get a pod for 7 hours, or stay for a maximum of 15 hours for 60.00 USD.

Similarly, if you need a short rest, you can rent a soundproofed box-style room at Boxtel. You pay around 40.00 USD per 4-hour time block and get a full-size bed, alarm clock, small desk and a key card. It’s located near the Airport Link ticket centre on B floor.

If you need a slightly bigger space to rest while passing through on a layover, you might consider Miracle Transit Hotel. It used to be called Louis’ Tavern Transit Hotel, but has since been rebranded. It’s located in the secure passenger zone, meaning you don’t have to go through customs to get there. You can find it on the 4th floor of the International Departures Hall at Concourse G. Here you can book a room for 6 to 12 hours, and it offers a spa, sauna, salon and free WiFi.

Travellers who want a full hotel experience while being a short jaunt from Suvarnabhumi can find what they’re looking for at Novotel, a full-service hotel that offers a swimming pool, spa and fitness room. There’s a free shuttle that runs 24 hours a day which departs from the 2nd level arrivals area at Gate 4.

Other nearby options are YHA Bangkok Airport Hostel, Vismaya Suvarnabhumi Resort, Mariya Boutique Hotel, and Floral Shire Suvarnabhumi.

Where Is the Suvarnabhumi Airport Arrivals Meeting Point?

There’s a specified meeting area on Level 3. After you arrive, you’ll be in the Arrivals area on Level 2. Simply head upstairs to Level 3 after you’ve passed through immigration and picked up your baggage.

What Other Bangkok Airport Services Are Available?

Do you want to skip long immigration queues in Bangkok Airport? You can hire what’s called a meet and greet service, which employs an agent to meet you at your arrival gate, accompany you to immigration and help you with your forms, collect your bags and take you to your driver. This fast-track VIP service is offered by Assist-Ant, Bangkok FastTrack, and Royal Airport Concierge. You’d pay a fee of around 100.00 USD for this convenience.

Where Can I Find My Bangkok Airport Flight Status?

If you’re wondering how to check Suvarnabhumi Airport departures or arrivals, you can check the official website.

Of course, though Suvarnabhumi is now the main airline hub in the capital, you can still fly into and out of Don Mueang Bangkok Airport.

Introduction to Don Mueang (DMK) Airport

Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport (DMK) was built in 1914 and is one of Thailand’s first airports as well as one of the oldest in the world. In 2006, after the opening of Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang began to handle private flights, domestic flights and some international routes in Asia. It’s the operating hub for various low cost Asian airlines. It’s likely that if you fly into Bangkok on AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Nok Air, or other low-cost airlines, you’ll land at DMK.

How Do I Get From Don Mueang Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport?

Though both are relatively close to the city, they are quite far from each other and there’s no direct train linking them.

Say you’ve created a layover by taking a budget airline to Bangkok from another Asian destination and then you want to head to the US from Bangkok. You’ll need to switch to Suvarnabhumi to catch your US flight.

You can head into the city centre from Don Mueang and then catch the rail link at Phaya Thai BTS station, or alternatively, you can try getting a taxi. Either way, make sure you plan at least 2 hours to make the switch.

What Are the Departures From Don Mueang Airport?

Thai AirAsia is the airline with the most flights out of Don Mueang, with destinations all over Asia. Nok Air flies you to a number of domestic destinations as well as China and Vietnam.

Here’s a list of all the airlines and destinations you can reach via Don Mueang Airport.

• AirAsia: Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur–International
• Indonesia AirAsia: Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Medan
• JC International Airlines: Phnom Penh
• Malindo Air: Kuala Lumpur–International
• New Gen Airways: Guilin, Huangshan, Xuzhou
• Nok Air: Buriram, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chumphon, Guwahati, Hat Yai, Hefei, Ho Chi Minh City, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Lampang, Loei, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sot, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Nantong, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Phuket, Ranong, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Surat Thani, Trang, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Visakhapatnam, Yancheng, Yangon, Zhengzhou; Seasonal: Nanjing
• NokScoot: Delhi, Nanjing, Osaka–Kansai, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tianjin, Tokyo–Narita, Xi’an
• Philippines AirAsia: Manila
• Thai AirAsia: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Buriram, Can Tho, Changsha, Chengdu, Chennai, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chongqing, Chumphon, Colombo, Da Nang, Denpasar/Bali, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Hat Yai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jaipur, Johor Bharu, Khon Kaen, Kochi, Kolkata, Kota Kinabalu, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kunming, Loei, Luang Prabang, Macau, Malé, Mandalay, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Nanjing, Narathiwat, Nha Trang, Penang, Phitsanulok, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Ranong, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Shantou, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, Singapore, Surat Thani, Trang, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Vientiane, Visakhapatnam, Wuhan, Xi’an, Yangon; Charter: Sanya, Meixian, Varanasi; Seasonal: Gaya, Ningbo
  Thai AirAsia X Brisbane, Fukuoka, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Tianjin, Tokyo–Narita
  Thai Lion Air: Changsha, Changzhou, Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chongqing, Colombo, Denpasar, Dhaka, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Hat Yai, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Jinan, Kathmandu, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Kunming, Mumbai, Nagoya–Centrair, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Osaka–Kansai, Phitsanulok, Phuket, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Surat Thani, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tianjin, Tokyo–Narita, Trang, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Wuhan, Xi’an, Yangon, Zhengzhou; Charter: Taiyuan, Xuzhou
• Thai Smile: Mae Hong Son
• TigerAir Taiwan: Taipei–Taoyuan

FAQs

We hope that you now know all you need to know about flying into this beautiful Southeast Asian country. For more information, and for details about the airports outside Bangkok, keep on reading to see the answers to some frequently asked questions!

How to Fly From Bangkok to Phuket

More than likely your journey to Thailand will include a visit to the stunning coastline. Phuket is a top tourist destination and is the closest point to the Phi Phi islands. It’s far from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok – with a distance of over 800 kilometres by car, it’s so far that you’ll need to plan how to get there in advance!

The fastest option would be to fly from Bangkok to Phuket. The bus ride between the 2 cities is over 16 hours long! The train-bus combination isn’t much faster, at around 13 hours total. Flying is convenient and affordable, and there are over 30 flights on this route available every day. The quickest trip is made by Thai Airways, which takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. To book a flight in advance, the Phuket airport code is HKT.

Once you arrive to Phuket Airport, 32 kilometres from the city centre in the north of Phuket Island, you can take either a public bus or a shared minibus to your destination. This is the 3rd busiest airport in Thailand, so you can find anything you need for your journey. If you plan to do any duty-free shopping, here you won’t find a wide selection of items. Instead, it’s recommended that you visit the Phuket Town duty-free shopping mall, where you can find any type of souvenir or gift you might want.

What Are the Phuket Airport Departures?

From Phuket you can find non-stop passenger flights scheduled to 49 destinations in 17 countries. 43 different airlines fly to and from Phuket.

These are the most heavily-travelled international routes from Phuket and the airlines that fly there:

• Beijing–Capital, China: Air China, Hainan Airlines, Thai Airways.
• Changsha, China: China Southern Airlines, Shandong Airlines.
• Chengdu, China: China Eastern Airlines, Nok Air, Shenzhen Airlines, Sichuan Airlines.
• Chongqing, China: Chongqing Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, Tianjin Airlines.
• Doha, Qatar: Qatar Airways.
• Dubai–International, United Arab Emirates: Emirates.
• Guangzhou, China: China Southern Airlines.
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: VietJet, Vietnam Airlines.
• Hong Kong: Cathay Dragon, Hong Kong Express Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai Smile.
• Kuala Lumpur–International: AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air.
• Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Russia: Aeroflot.
• Seoul–Incheon, South Korea: Korean Air, Asiana.
• Shanghai–Pudong, China: Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines, Thai Lion Air.
• Shenzhen, China: China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines.
• Singapore: Jetstar Asia Airways, SilkAir/Singapore Airlines, Thai AirAsia, Scoot.

The furthest international place you can fly to non-stop from Phuket is Zurich, Switzerland. It takes around 12 hours and 40 minutes.

There are plenty of domestic flights as well. You can catch a flight from Phuket to Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Udon Thani, Samui, Hat Yai, Chiang Rai, and of course the 2 Bangkok airports.

Flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Another top destination worth checking out is Chiang Mai, where you can find some of the country’s most important Buddhist temples. Flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai are easy to find and are the fastest way to get there, as Chiang Mai is located 700 kilometres to the north of Bangkok.

There are plenty of low-cost flights and the journey only takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you’re crossing the country from south to north, you can take a flight from Phuket to Chiang Mai in just 2 hours. Chiang Mai International Airport receives around 130 flights per week from Bangkok and all around Asia.

Other destinations you might want to consider are Krabi, Hat Yai, Chiang Rai, Trang and Koh Samui. All of these cities have airports and most of them can be accessed on low-cost airlines, and the cheapest fare would most likely be taking a flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport.

What Are the Names and Codes of All the Thailand Airports?

Thailand’s 47 airports and their codes are listed here: